How COVID-19 spreads

The most common way COVID-19 spreads is through respiratory droplets or small particles during close contact with someone who is already infected.

• Person-to-person contact:   

  • People are at greatest risk when they have direct contact with or spend time near a person while they are infectious with COVID-19. Read more about what counts as close contact.

  • Exposure can occur through respiratory droplets -- when an infected person coughs, sneezes, sings, or talks. This is similar to how flu and other respiratory viruses spread.

Although much less common, COVID-19 can also spread through airborne transmission or direct contact with infected surfaces or objects.

• Airborne transmission 
  • Sometimes smaller respiratory droplets can remain in the air for up to several hours and can travel on air currents farther than six feet. Airborne transmission occurs when droplets or small particles carrying the virus remain suspended in the air or travel farther than 6 feet away from the person with COVID-19.
  • Airborne transmission has occurred when a person with COVID-19 was participating in an activity that increased the number of respiratory particles they produce, like singing or exercising.
  • This type of exposure usually occurs indoors in spaces with poor ventilation.
• Infected surfaces or objects:  
  • It may be possible to get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching your mouth, nose, or possibly your eyes.   

For these reasons, people at increased risk of infection are:  

• People who have been to areas where widespread community transmission is occurring. 
• People who spent time in a poorly ventilated area with someone who has COVID-19.
• People who spent time in large groups or crowded areas.

• People who had direct close contact with someone who has COVID-19. 

Symptoms and severity

• Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

  • Fever or chills

  • Cough

  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing

  • Fatigue

  • Muscle or body aches

  • Headache

  • New loss of taste or smell

  • Sore throat

  • Congestion or runny nose

  • Nausea or vomiting

  • Diarrhea

• Illness can be severe and require hospitalization, but most individuals recover by resting, drinking plenty of liquids, and taking pain and fever-reducing medications.